Toppenish Snow Removal

City of Toppenish Snow Removal Policy

Priority for Snow Removal

1/11/2017

What triggers snow removal activity?

·  5” accumulation of snow by 9:00 PM in the Central Business Area

·  6” accumulation of snow by 9:00 p.m. in the residential area

What are the times that the crews will be removing snow?

·  Between the hours of 10:00 PM and approx. 9:00 AM

What areas are plowed first?

·  Downtown streets will be graded and intersections cleared

·  Emergency services: Hospital, Fire Station, Police Station, and the Post Office

Snow is plowed to the center of the street.

Snow is removed as time permits.

All vehicles should be removed from city streets during snow clearing activities

Important information for residential areas:

·  Residential areas will be plowed to approx. 1” and intersections will be cleared.

·  Snow will be plowed as close to the curb as possible.

·  Driveways are the responsibility of the property/home owner or resident.

·  Snow must never be piled on fire hydrants.

·  Snow must not be piled on private property without permission of property owner.

·  Residential plowing will be completed by approx. 9:00 a.m. in order to reduce resident re-clearing of their driveways.

9:00 a.m. dead line is only a projection. Actual time will fluctuate pending weather conditions. Residents/Business Owners should wait until the city crews have plowed their respective street in order to reduce re-shoveling of their driveways. Residents and business owners are reminded to keep the snow from private snow removal operations on their respective property.

If you have questions about snow removal – please contact the Public Works Department at 509-865-4500 or via e-mail at

Street Snow Removal Priority List:

Snow will be Graded on the following streets: (areas shown in blue on snow map)

(Snow will be plowed to the center and snow will be hauled as time permits.)

·  West 2nd Avenue from South Elm to South Division

·  West 4th Avenue from South Elm to South Division

·  West 1st Avenue from South Elm to South Division

·  South Toppenish to West 3rd Avenue to RR Tracks

·  South Alder Street from West 1st to Washington Avenue

·  South Jefferson from West 1st to South Alder

Snow will be Plowed on the following streets: (areas shown in yellow on snow map)

(Snow will be plowed to the curb)

·  East Second Avenue from S. Division to S “L” Street

·  East Toppenish from Railroad Tracks/Asotin to South “L” Street

·  South Division from West First to SR 22

·  Washington from South Elm to S Toppenish Ave

·  Washington Avenue from South Elm to North City Limits

·  Asotin Avenue from Buena Way to East Toppenish Ave to E 1st Ave

·  North Track Rd from Buena Way to North City Limits

·  Lincoln Avenue from Asotin to North “L” Street

·  South Juniper Street from Washington to Jackson Avenue

·  Jackson Street from Juniper to Smartlowit School

·  Madison from S Elm to S Juniper

·  Berger Addition from Jefferson to Robart to Hammond to Berger to Brooks to Robart

·  Guyette Lane from West First to Juniper

·  Franklin from North Fir to Goldendale to BuenaWay

·  Chehalis Avenue from Franklin to Lincoln Avenue

·  North Alder from D St to Chehalis

·  North Beech from Asotin to D Street

·  North D Street from Zillah to G to Lincoln

·  G Street to Zillah from South Track Road

·  Zillah Avenue from North D Street to North G Street

·  North F Street from Zillah Ave to Lincoln Ave

·  Carlson Ave from West 1St Ave to West 3rd Ave

·  West 3rd Ave from Carlson Ave to Elm Street

·  Bolin from West 1st to West 4th Ave

·  L Street from East 1st Ave to Lincoln Ave

Once the above streets have been graded and plowed crews will begin plowing the remaining city streets.

More Information about Snow Removal

The City of Toppenish maintains 60 miles of traffic lanes and 8 miles of alleys. The City’s snow removal equipment is readied by November 1 of each year and consists of:

·  One chemical deicer truck,
·  Two dump trucks with a sander and plow
·  One grader / ·  Two backhoes
·  One loader

The above equipment, combined with the City’s trained Public Works Crew, will keep the major city streets passable. Plows will remove snow from the travel lane when snow depth and estimated accumulations indicate the need to plow.

The City’s snow control policy establishes the degree of snow control to be used on the streets with the following priority:

1.  First Priority: All major arterial streets considered to be the minimum network which must be kept open to provide transportation system connection hospital, fire station, police station and emergency medical services.

2.  Second Priority: Minor arterials and collector streets serving as school routes, truck routes, public transportation and utility services and selected hot spots such as curves and higher traffic volume intersections.

3.  Third Priority: Fourth Priority: All remaining streets, such as residential and local streets.

Sidewalks, Driveways or Parking lots: It is the home/property’s or resident’s responsibility

·  to remove the snow/ice on their respective properties.

·  to keep the snow which is removed from their property, piled on their own property, not on the city streets.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can’t the City remove the snow they put in my driveway, sidewalk or in front of my mail box? When you consider the large number of driveways, amount of sidewalks and total number of mailboxes in the City, it is very costly and time consuming to use additional manpower and equipment to perform. The City’s primary duty and responsibility is to open and keep open the main roadway system for transportation.

Why not plow all the snow to the center of the street?

Piling snow to the center of a street can create a hazardous situation. Piling snow to the center can create restricted vision at intersections, continuous melting of the piled snow will create a wet/freezing hazard and/or motorists may high-center their vehicle trying to cross the pile as well as pedestrian danger of slipping or falling.

Where do I put the snow which I removed from my property, parking lot or sidewalk?

Put the removed snow on your own property in a location where it will not impede pedestrian travel, vision, traffic ingress/egress or melt and cause water damage.